Leg for folding cots



Feb. 21, 1928.

J. L. CABLE LEG FOR FOLDING COTS Filed Jan.20, 192.5

Patented Feb. 21, 1928 UNIT so stares;

PATENT oral-cs.

TION. 'OFBOSTON'; MASSAGH-USETTS;,A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

LEG. non FOLDING cons.

ApplieationfiledJanuary 20, .1925. Serial No. 3,583.

This-invention relatesto certainimprovementsinfolding cot-s of the type disclosed in my prioruPatent #1,507,906, in which the frame and. legs are. formed from semi tubular metaland in which the legsare each con: nected. to the side bars on rails bymeans of. a form of connector which is rigidly connected to the leg and fitted within and pivotally connected to the end portion of the adjacent side bar or bars,. as the case maybe.

More. specifically the, invention. relates to an improvement. on the form of joint for the above purpose disclosed in. my application. Serial No. 726,699 and. has for its objects-toprovide a form of connection or' T head. for, thelegs which is so constructed that it may be made of waste pieces of stock, whiclris-adapted tofbe more readily assem-v bled. than is'the previously employed construction, so that a saving ofmanufacturing; expensewillbe secured and which. w ll be'better adapted to withstand the stralns to-which it. is likely to be subjected than said previousconstructions.

I accomplish these objects in the manner. hereinafter. described. and as illustrated. in the accompanying drawings,. in which:

Fig. 1 is asideelevation: ofa. foldingcot.

of the type referred to and containingan embodimentof my invention.

F ig. 2 is a:- detailjsectional view on an enlarged: scale, at line 22. ofiFig; .1.

Fig.

Fig. .2.

Fig. 4;. isa sectionalview at line 4.et.of

Fig.1 isa sectional'view at line 7.7 of

Fig. .6. l I s F igs.. 8 and. 9 are side. and. perspective views, respectively, of one of the middle connector. members.

Figs. 10 and 11 are similar corresponding.

views or one oftheendconnector members.

In: thedrawing, the'cot illustrated comprises sidebars a, ,end bars 6 and. a pair: of.

crossed, pivotallyconnected legs 0 at the middle and a similar pair of legs (Z. at'each end all being formed. of strips of'metal 3 is a. similar vieW,.at line 33 of bent in semi-tubular form with parallel sides and semi-cylindrical middle portions.

The specific formv of connection between the middle legs 0 andfthe side bars is illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4:; 8 and9 andc'omprises apair ofconnectormemberse each ofwhichv are identical' iiiv form. and each of which consistsv originally, of a .flat: metal plate or blank, of approximately rectangular form, and as illustrated in. Fig. 9, one of the longer edge portions.- of' the. blank being turned'inwardor. bent cylindrically through 90, forming a. curvedfportion. 6 so that when the twomembers, .which form the :connector, are'placedtogether in opposite relation, and are held. so that their. fiat portions areparallel; the bent. portions '6 will form. a practically continuous semi-cylindrical surface, corresponding to the inner sJurface of. the rounded portion. of the side ar. the opposite corners vfrom the curved portione said earsbeingformed: at approximately. 45' to thefedges of the blank. in. op posite relation andlthe extreme corner. portion being, out off. obliquely so that anend edge 63 isformed on the. ends of the lugs ofeachmember. which is adapted to engage the opposite member; whenthe members are placed in. opposite relation, and the sides thereof. are. parallel: duplicate of theother, and; in order. thatthe lugs e thereof will. overlap andlie sideby side. in engagement when. a pair. of. membersare in assemblediposition, one'lug of each. membenis set atsa. slightly greater. distance from/the. opposite" edge 6. than the.

other, so. that. the right. hand. lug of. one

member will overlap the left. hand lug oI the: other member; when. two members are PlGLCQClElILOPPOSltG relation,.and.one lug of.

each member willlieout-iside. andthe other.

order to provideawider meetingsurfacm'at the edges vofthe curved portions two inwardlybent portionse, are." formed in the edge portions. thereof; When. in assembled positiomthe distance between the inner surfaces of the. sides of-the members Each-member e is a.

Bars ore lugs e are formedat each of e is substantially less than the width of the legs measured'from the -middle of their semi-cylindrical portion to the plane of the edges of their sides. To permit the end portion of each leg to extend between said surfaces and to provide a means for rigidly attaching the leg to-themembers e, the edge portions of the sides of the legs, for ardistance corresponding to the width of said members, are bent outwardly at right angles to form flanges 0 having their faces in the same plane surface and at a distance from a parallel plane to the semi-cylindrical portion equal to the perpendicular distance between the inner surfaces of a pair of members when assembled, so that when the leg is placed between the members one member will engage the flanges and the other the middle of its semi-cylindrical portion of the leg, and the members will be in the relative position in which it is intended that they be held, i. e. with the edges of the portions 6 engaged, the sides parallel, and the ends of the lugs c of each member engaged with the sides of the other member. In this position also, the upper end edges of the flanges 0 will be pressed firmly against the rounded portion 6 of one of the members and the lower edge of this member will engage theshoulders 0 formed on the leg by bending out the flanges 0 as shown in Fig. 2.

In practice when the parts are stamped out, or otherwise formed, rivet holes are punched therein, so that when these parts are assembled they may be readily secured in the positions in which they arelintended to be held, a'pair of rivets being passed through the sides'of the members 6 and through the flanges 0 so that said members are firmly clamped together and against opposite portions of the leg. When thus assembled, each pair of members e unite to form a T-head for each middle leg having a semi-cylindrical upper edge and parallel sides, the exterior surfaces of which are adapted to conform to the interior surfaces of the side bars a, so that the end portions of the side bars may .be placed in position on said T-heads and pivotally connected thereto by rivets g, which are passed through the sides of the bars and through the sides of the members 6, adjacent the ends of the latter, to permit the bars to be swung thereon between positions of alignment and parallel folded positions, the corners of themembers 0 adjacent the pivots 9 being slightly rounded to permit this movement. The construction of the connectors, or T-heads on the ends of the end legs d is similar to that for the middle legs, but differ therefrom in certain details. The members is and 72, from which they are constructed are formed from flat blanks similar to that shown in Fig. 10, but are made in pairs from dies which are somewhat differently constructed. These blanks are notched at each end, and the portion above the notches is bent into partly cy-' lindrical form, the end portions 10 h thereof belng bent into nearly semi-cylindrical form,

so that when a pair of members are placed together they form a cylindrically shaped projection which is adapted to be received by either of the end sockets of the end bars I), as described in my said prior patent. A pair of lugs and h are also formed on each member below the end notches,"said lugs being bent into a position at rightangles to the side of the member and being dis-' posed perpendicularly to the longitudinal edges of the member. The lugs 70 and 72. are, 1

in this form, preferably so arranged that the lugs k on the member 7a Wlll be engaged with the inner sides of the lugs k of the member 72,. The end portions of the legs d' are bent outward to form flanges d similar to flanges 0 and the distance between the parallel closely between the inner sides of lugs if, so that when the leg is placed between themembers, with its end engaged with the semi-cyedges of said flanges al is such that they fit lindrical portions thereofithe edges of the being clamped against the rounded portion of the leg. The cylindrically shaped surface formed by the portions 70 k of the members corresponds to the inner surface of the end portions of side bars a, which are placed in position thereon and pivotally connected thereto by rivets j, which pass through both members 72, h and the sides of the bars in the manner already described with relation to the connecting head, or connector at the middle, the side bar, in each instance, being ex tended along the headas far as practicable, as shown in Fig. 5. v

With theabove described forms of connectorsbetween the legs and the sidebars, the manufacturing operations are substantially simplified, as the connector members may be placed on opposite sides of the legs and the rivets may be inserted and secured more readily than with said prior construction. At the same time the connection secured isvery rigid and will withstand any strain to which it is likely to be subjected, several abutting shoulders between the leg and the members being provided,which prevent any undue strain from being placed on the rivets.

WVhile the above described construction is illustrated in' connection-with; afolding-com the same construction may be employed to advantage in connection-with folding chairs, or thelike,.ofsnnilarconstruction:

l A leg of channel-form metal; adapted for use in COIlIlQCtlOIlWllJlf a cliannelforin metal side bar of a fold ng cot; and having the'edge'portions of itssides at its-saitbup per end extendingtransversely outward to' form oppositely disposedflanges, a-pair-of metal platesections liav-ingoppos-itely dis posed head portions shaped tocorrespond exterior-1y to opposite portions interiorly' of the side bar-and having ear-portions: ar

ranged in parallel relation" with eachother and with the faces of said flanges and' meana engagingsaid ear portions and flanges to clamp the same rigidly together.

2. A leg of channel-form metal, adapted for use in connection with a channel-form metal side bar of a folding cot, and having the edge portions of its sides at its upperend extending transversely outward to form oppositely disposed flanges, a pair of metal plate sections having ear portions arranged in parallel relation with each other and with the faces of said flanges and rigidly secured thereto and to each other, and said section-s having head portions extending upwardly and transversely from said ear portions, the

i upper edge portions thereof being extended towards each other, so that their edges meet, to form a T-head corresponding exteriorly to the interior of the side bar, within which it is adapted to be fitted and to which it is adapted to be pivotally connected.

8. A leg of channel-form metal, adapted for use in connection with a channel-form metal side bar of a folding cot, said leg having flanges formed integrally with its sides at its upper end and extending at each side thereof in a common plane and a pair of metal plate sections arranged in parallel relation with said flanges and. having means extending therethru and thru said flanges to clamp the same rigidly thereby, said sections having their upper edge portions turned towards each other, to provide a top bearing face which extends longitudinally at right a s to the leg and conforms transversely A le,

to the interior of the side bar, so that it may i be fitted therein and provide a support therefor.

4. A leg of channel-form metal, adapted for use in connection with a channel form metal side bar of a folding cot, and having the upper end portions of its sides bent out-- wardly to form oppositely disposed flanges arranged in the same plane, a connector therefor comprising a pair of metal plates arranged with one'in engagement with said flanges and one held in parallel relation thereto, and means extending thru said plates and flanges to clamp them rigidly together, the upper'- edge portions of" said; plates being inturned and adapted t'owbe' fitted within tlieside bar,- so that the turned portions will bearagainst the middle portion of 'tli'e-bar and the sides of the plate: will-engage the sides: of the bar when the leg'i's held in 1 right angular relation thereto. v

51 A leg of-channel-fornm metal,yadapted for" use in connection with a channel+fornn metal; sidebar of a folding cot,vand. having a pair of'lateraily extending fiitIlgGSfOIIHBdL continuously with the upper portion of:its--. sides; metal connectorplates respectively arranged one against said: flanges-andithe jother." against: the opposite portion of the leg,'. and, en means engaging said plates and; flanges to cla mp said plates together. and against said; opposite portions ofi-the :leg and fornra .rigidi connection therebetween, the upper edge portions of said plates being adapted to be fitted into the side bar and have a pivotal connection therewith. v

6. A leg of channel-form metal adapted for use in connection with a channel-form metal side bar of a. folding cot, said leg having a portion of each side at its upper end bent outwardly to form a pair of flanges disposed in a common plane, a pair of metal plates one engaged with said flanges and the other with the opposite rounded portion of the leg, and clamping bolts extending through the plates and said flanges at each side of the leg to secure the same thereto, the upper edge portions of said plates being bent towards each other to form a substantially continuous rounded surface corresponding to the inner surface of the rounded portion of the side bar and with which said upper portions of said plates are engaged.

7. A leg adapted for use in connection with a side bar of a folding cot, both leg and side barbeing formed of semitubular metal having parallel sides and an inter-mediated rounded portion; said leg having a portion of each side at its upper end bent outwardly to form a pair of flanges disposed in a common plane, a pair of metal plates one enaged with said flanges and the other with the opposite rounded portion of the leg, and having means to clamp the same I thereagainst, each of said plates having a lug formed integrally therewith and extended into engagement with the other at opposite sides of the leg and having their upper edge portions inwardly curved and adapted to be fitted within the side bar against the rounded portion thereof.

8. A leg adapted for use in connection with a side bar of a folding cot, both leg and side bar being formed of semi-tubular metal having parallel sides and an intermediate rounded portion, the sides of said leg at the upper end thereof having their edge portions bent "outwardly to form flanges with the face sides thereof in the same plane surface,

a' pair of metal platesone of which is engaged with the faces of said flanges and the other with the opposite middle portion of the leg and clamping bolts extending through said plates and flanges, the upper edge portions of said plates being inturned and adapted to be fitted within an endvportion of the side bar and pivotally connected thereto and said plates each having an inturned lug arranged to overlap in engagement with each other and hold the plates in spaced relation.

9. A leg adapted for use in connection with a side bar of a folding cot, both leg and side bar being formed of semi-tubular metal having parallel sides and a semi-cylindrically shaped middle portion, the sides of said leg at'the upper end thereof having their edge portions bent outwardly to form flanges with the face sides thereof in the same plane sur through said plates and flanges, the upper edge portions of said plates heinginturned and adapted to be fitted within an end portion of the side bar and pivotally connected thereto and said plates each having a pair of inturned lugs arranged at opposite sides of the leg in position to overlap each other in closeengagement and to engage the side of the opposite plate at their ends. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JULIUS L. CABLE. 

